1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to baseball tees, and more particularly, to baseball tees having a mesh support to support a baseball.
2. Description of the Related Art
Baseball tees are typically used in the process of teaching young children to hit a ball with a bat, by experienced players wanting to practice hitting balls off a tee, and in T-ball games. The typical baseball tee comprises a flat base plate placed on the ground, most often in the shape of a baseball home plate, which supports an adjustable vertical pole having a ball support cup on the upper end. A baseball is placed on the support cup so a youngster or experienced players can try to hit the stationary ball by swinging a bat instead of the more difficult task of attempting to hit a moving ball. With limited experience or limited coordination, youngsters may occasionally strike the cup or pole holding the ball, rather than the ball itself. This can be expected as part of the learning process. As a result, however, the tee is frequently tipped over or moved and has to be repositioned for the training session to continue. This can be a source of frustration and discouragement, as well as a safety concern, for the youngster and coach in the event of inadvertent contact with errant bat swings.
Tees hold the baseball at a given position which allows the batter to practice their swing without the necessity of a person pitching or a pitching machine throwing balls at the batter. Tees also allow the batter to position the ball at a given height above the ground and a given distance from the batter, such that the batter can practice hitting a ball in different hitting zones.
Conventional tees are made of hard durable materials, such as rubber or plastic, that can withstand the force of a bat hitting the tee. A consequence of using hard durable materials is that the conventional tee can be heavy and not easily transportable. Furthermore, the weight of the conventional tee increases the costs associated with manufacturing and distributing the conventional tee.
Thus, what is needed is a baseball tee that is easily transportable, while being resilient to withstand the typical striking forces from batters hitting the tee during normal use.